ADULT EDUCATION

WPC Celebrates Black History Month

In February, WPC celebrated Black History month with a speaker series centered on Brown v. Board of Education, the landmark 1954 case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that segregation in public schools based on race was unconstitutional.

To kick off the speaker series, we were honored to host Cheryl Brown Henderson, who has had a front row seat in the Civil Rights movement for most of her life. As the daughter of Rev. Oliver Brown, one of 13 plaintiffs in Brown vs. Board of Education, she enlightened us on some of the history of the case, and she stressed her commitment to continue the legacy of this historic decision. Prior to her talk, we hosted a delicious dinner in the Chapel. Besides church members, the community was invited and welcomed to this event. All warmly received Mrs. Brown Henderson for this unique opportunity to learn first-hand about her family’s involvement in a case that altered the trajectory of U.S. history by overturning the prior doctrine of separate but equal as applied to public education.

Mrs. Brown Henderson is the youngest of Rev. Brown’s three daughters. When asked at what point she really understood that her family had made history, she wryly commented that the significance of her family’s action likely became clear upon seeing a white man with cameras on her porch as she arrived home from school one day. The man shook her hand and introduced himself as the famed journalist Charles Kuralt. Mrs. Brown Henderson also stressed that the Brown decision was the culmination of a nation-wide, decades-long struggle for school integration, involving many families who sought a proper education for their children.

Mrs. Brown Henderson has been professionally involved in education for much of her life. She is the founder of Brown & Associates, an educational consulting firm, and of

The Brown Foundation for Educational Equity, Excellence and Research. Under her leadership, the Foundation successfully worked with Congress to establish the Brown v. Board of Education National Park in Topeka, which opened in May of 2004.

While Mrs. Brown Henderson’s talk was both personal in its perspective and national in its scope, our two subsequent speakers focused on the history and legacy of Brown v. Board of Education in our own Philadelphia-area communities. On Sunday morning, February 12, local historian Penny Washington presented “Right Here: Main Line Fight for School Integration.”

“I want to thank the pastors of WPC and I also want to thank the congregants – those of you who are members of the church – because what you’re doing – I’ve toured the building, I’ve looked at the literature, and I’ve heard about all the programs – it is absolutely astounding – the service and outreach for the community. I mean, what you’re doing is the kind of thing that provides pathways to bringing people together, so I really do commend you for that work.”

Ms. Washington summarized the history of the “Berwyn School Fight” of 1932-34, when the Tredyffrin School Board voted to build a new elementary school – only for white children; the African-American children were to remain in the old building, segregated on the basis of race from their white classmates. African-American working-class parents objected to being compelled to send their children to poorly maintained, segregated schools. When they boycotted the public schools in protest of this discriminatory action, many were arrested and jailed. After more than 300 school days, the African-American parents prevailed in a political settlement and their children returned to integrated schools.

In explaining the broad significance of this local history, Ms. Washington emphasized that the Berwyn School Fight was a precursor to Brown, one that illustrates the need for and importance of the Brown decision here in our own community. That the Main Line African-American community prevailed in a political settlement showed not only the strength of that community’s leadership, but also the power of its vote. Finally, this local event paved the way for the 1935 Pennsylvania Equal Rights Act.

Our third and final speaker of the series was Constance McAlister, a prominent Philadelphia educator over three decades and retired principal of John Bartram High School. Under the title “Brown v. Board of Education: Things Change as They Remain the Same,” Ms. McAlister emphasized that, although nearly 60 years have passed since the Brown decision, public schools remain separate and unequal, and many children still cannot read. She focused on the need for equitable distribution of school funds to provide each school and each child the necessary resources and opportunity for success. While applauding Wayne Presbyterian’s long-term commitment to building relationships, Ms. McAlister urged us to do more – more reading to children, more engagement with state and local officials to ensure equity of resources, more courageous conversations. Inspired by Ms. McAlister’s passionate urging, a lively conversation ensued.

As we look back at this series, we reaffirm the need for WPC – a predominantly white suburban church – to celebrate Black History Month. We believe it is incumbent on us to learn as much as we can about all our brothers and sisters in Christ and to try to understand how it feels to “walk in somebody else’s shoes.” Although talks on race may be uncomfortable, we quote Ms. McAllister, who asked us to be courageous.

We thank all those who participated in our Black History Month speaker series, and we hope that each participant felt a renewed commitment to nurturing the vision of the Beloved Community for all God’s children.

THURSDAY MORNING MEN’S MINISTRY (TM3)

7:00 a.m. Fireside Room

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. – Psalm 119:105

TM3 is an informal group of Wayne Presbyterian Church that meets at 7:00 am each Thursday in the Fireside Room and on Zoom. It is a wonderful opportunity for relationships, prayer, and learning. The program year runs from September through June.

The morning begins with prayer & fellowship. This is followed by learning time: a 30-minute presentation typically from professors from Eastern University. We usually wrap up at 8 am, although the speakers often stay for a while to answer questions and chat.

Are you looking to explore the world of history, bible study, astronomy, philosophy, theology, and a host of Bible-related topics? This might be just what you are looking for. The lineup of speakers will challenge your mind and fill your spirit. Join in for a morning or two or the entire series. You will be glad you did.

OUR UPCOMING SPEAKERS:

March

Rev. Cean R. James; Senior Pastor, Salt & Light

• Rev. Christopher J. Holland II; Executive Director, The Common Place

April

Dr. Phil Cary, PhD., Chair; Professor of Philosophy; Eastern University

May

Dr. Joseph B. Modica, PhD; University Chaplain; Associate Professor of Biblical Studies; Eastern University and Scholar-in-Residence at WPC

June

Dr. Walter Huddell, PhD; Professor of Mathematics; Engineering Adviser; Eastern University

From left: James Barnes, Janice Mack, Lillian Brown, her daughter, Linda Brown, and Buff Barnes. Lillian is 93 and grew up in Berwyn. She remembers when her older sister stayed home from school for the two years during the Berwyn School Fight of the 1930’s. Her sister was very smart and would hold school at her house for her siblings. If you got an answer wrong you moved up the stairs on the stair case. Lillian knew several of the people that Penny Washington talked about. Janice met Lillian and Linda when she was working at the Easttown Library and they struck up a conversation.

For more information or to get on the email Zoom invite list please contact Tim Pretz at tpretz@eastern.edu or Sal Ambrosio at sambrosio55@gmail.com